Maharashtra police raids red light areas, detains 6 girls

In a bid to combat illegal prostitution, the Maharashtra Police raided a red light areas in Maharashtra and detained around six girls alleged to be a part of immoral trafficking.

Police Inspector S D Kamble said Hari Shankar Moolchand Mahto, who was running the sex racket, has also been arrested.

"After conducting a raid with other officials, we have arrested Hari Shankar Moolchand Mahto, the person who was running the business and we have rescued six girls including two from Delhi, two from Kolkata and one each from Lucknow and Pune," said Kamble here today.

Kamble also said that the girls would be kept in remand room and a case has been registered against Mahto.

"The girls will be kept in a remand room and an offence has been registered under III, IV and V PETA Act against Hari Shankar Moolchand Mahto and his accomplice," he added.

According to the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), South Asia is the second largest venue for human trafficking in the world, after East Asia,

Over 150,000 people are known to be trafficked within the region every year - mostly for sex work, but also for labour, forced marriages and as part of the organ trade, according to UNODC officials.

Traffickers often take advantage of impoverished communities, luring girls and young women and girls with promises of jobs as maids or nannies in wealthy households in the cities. But, activists say, the reality is very different.